⚖️📝Volunteering with Joyanne Coca: Study, career readiness and wellbeing
As part of our LIVE in NSW Initiative, we support volunteers at the Study NSW International Student Welcome Desks at Sydney and Newcastle Airports. These students explained to us what they enjoyed most about studying in Sydney, the benefits they have experienced from volunteering and how they’ve been able to make a difference in welcoming fellow students.
Meet Joyanne!
Area of Study: Masters (Post-graduate) in Business Administration
Country of Origin: Phillippines
Institution: Kaplan Business School
Hours Volunteered: 63
Joyanne’s tip for international students
My first few months in Sydney were purely dedicated to my academic achievements and I still felt something was missing until I found my way to volunteering. There is no better time to do volunteering than today!
“It gives me a sense of fulfillment to be able to reach academic excellence and make a positive contribution to the community for a greater good at the same time.”
Joyanne Coca, Student Volunteer
Sign up to volunteerWhy did you choose to study in NSW?
New South Wales offers quality and high-standard education for international students. Universities offer relevant and future-ready that prepare students for real-world experience. As Australia’s largest state, NSW provides strong support for students’ academic excellence, health, safety, and social well-being. The transport system is technologically advanced.
NSW also embraces cultural diversity while preserving its heritage. Sydney, the main city, is filled with vibrant, recreational, and cultural activities that make student life more balanced.
What has been your favourite part of the student volunteering experience?
I value both my academic and volunteer experiences to achieve an overall balance in my well-being. It gives me a sense of fulfilment to be able to reach academic excellence and make a positive contribution to the community for the greater good at the same time.
How have you gotten involved in student volunteer work?
I was inspired by a good friend who is also studying MBA at Kaplan. My first few months in Sydney have been purely dedicated to my academic achievements and I still felt something was missing until I found my way to volunteering.
How have you improved your career readiness?
I became more culturally oriented as I got the opportunity to work with students from different nationalities. Doing volunteer work at the Airport International Welcome Desk helped me develop more soft skills such as teamwork, communication, people engagement, and leadership. I also gained some practical skills like time management and reading maps or directions.
Where do you see yourself going in the future?
Apart from landing a very good career in management consulting or marketing, in terms of volunteering, I see myself beyond the International Airport Welcome Desk, of course! I should be doing more volunteer work recommended by Communiteer.
If you'd like to join the International Student Welcome Desk volunteering program, sign up here.
